This invention relates to a connector for an electronic apparatus and more particularly to a connector for a foldable electronic apparatus with two cabinets rotatably connected through axes.
In what follows, a foldable electronic apparatus which was previously designed will be described in detail by way of FIGS. 6-9 such that the objects and distinctive characteristics of the present invention will be more clearly understandable. As shown in FIG. 6, such a foldable electronic apparatus is comprised of a display cabinet 14 and a key cabinet 10 which are rotatably connected to each other such that one can be opened and closed with respect to the other. To make this connection, the display cabinet 14 is provided at its joint with tubular protruding pieces 15 as more clearly shown in FIG. 8 which is a sectional view taken along the line VIII--VIII and the key cabinet 10 is likewise provided at its joint with tubular protruding pieces 16 as more clearly shown in FIG. 9 which is a sectional view taken along the line IX--IX such that shafts 13 which penetrate these tubular pieces 15 and 16 arranged in colinear relationship serve to rotatably engage the protruding pieces 15 and 16 and therefore the display cabinet 14 and the key cabinet 10, thereby forming a foldable cabinet unit.
The display cabinet 14 is provided with an ornamental film sheet 1 with a transparent section 2. The key cabinet 10 contains an interior cabinet 6 provided with input keys 7. The display cabinet 14 and the key cabinet 1 are electrically connected to each other through a flexible circuit board 5.
As shown in FIG. 7 which is a sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 taken along the line VII--VII, the display cabinet 14 is further provided with an operating element 9, a printed circuit board 12, a liquid crystal display device 3 and an inner cabinet 4. They are all covered by the ornamental film sheet 1, the transparent section 2 of the film sheet 1 covering the liquid crystal display device 3. The key cabinet 10 is also provided with a printed circuit board 11 with junction points (not shown) thereon such that a key input is accomplished when one or more of the keys 7 are pressed and junction point or points 8 corresponding to the pressed key or keys 7 come into contact with them. The inner cabinet 6 of the key cabinet 10 serves to protect the printed circuit board 11, junction points 8, etc. The flexible circuit board 5 is electrically connected to both of the printed circuit boards 11 and 12. The double-headed arrow of FIG. 7 indicates how the display cabinet 14 and the key cabinet 10 can be folded together.
One of the disadvantages of an electronic apparatus thus structured as shown in FIGS. 6-9 is that it can be opened only up to 180.degree.. Thus, even when one of the cabinets 10 and 14 is required for an operation, a working area large enough for both cabinets is required. Moreover, since the shafts 13 are subjected to a large stress when the cabinet unit is opened to 180.degree., the cabinets 10 and 14 must be strongly built. This has the unfavorable consequence of the apparatus becoming inconveniently large.